I am a beginner in chess and I like to play some of my friends who are basically at the same level. Usually who wins is based on who makes that one amazing (and lucky) move and quite frankly I want to gain an edge over my friends. I have noticed that I usually just open randomly and this is what happens most of the time:

One of the sides (or both) are neglected and both of my rooks are trapped for the entire duration of the game until most of my pawns are decimated and my rooks have some moving space. I have noticed that a lot of beginners/casual players have the same problem, since it seems to take a lot of moves to properly free up space for a rook.

Only the pieces which I gave space at the beginning (which usually are my queen, 1 bishop and both knights since they are never trapped by pawns and of course a couple of pawns) are used and the other pieces are totally neglected, kind of the same as the first point only more general.

Some my final question is:

Is there a simple opening for beginners which frees up a lot of space for the powerful pieces to be utilized, especially rooks?

p.s. - I am aware that there exists no perfect opening, but keep in mind this is very low level chess. So I'm looking for an opening which is usually enough to have a nice setup and is not countered easily by weak players.

13 Answers
13

I asked my chess teacher (rated 2100 USCF) against she said "E4 games", (the italian game, ruy lopez (spanish), sicilian, the vienna, or the scotch). Her personal recommendation was the kings gambit. I disagree I like d4 and c4 openings, closed positions, beginners don't know how to play against d4 or c4. There are these different openings like the polish/arangoutang, Nimsowich Larsen, and benko which I wont go into much detail.

"E4 games"

Open games

-Open diagonals

-Fluid or absent center pawns

-Tactics

-Attacks

-Gambits

-Combinations

-Fast

Beginners usually like e4 games because they control the center, They develop quickly, and they get ready to castle (3 main rules in the opening) unlike in d4 openings. A suggestion is to get knights out first, and bishops out next.

Blacburne schilling - 3. nd4 Take the Knight and NOT the pawn if you take the pawn, you will loose a minor piece, 4. nxe5 Qg5 5. nxf7 qxg2 6.Rf1 qxe4+ if 7.be2 Nf3# if 7. Qe2 Nf3# So white will have to give up a minor piece eventually to not get checkmated

Ruy lopez - 1. e4 e5 2. nf3 nc6 3. bb5

3.a6. - Bobby Fischer likes 4.Bxc6, but the main line is 4. Ba5 b4 5. bb3

3.nd4. - The exchange variation either Be2 for white, or nxd4.

vienna - 1. e4 e5 2. nc3

2.Nc6 - 3. nf3 nf6 forms into the 4 knights game. 3. f4 turns into a gambit so you can take away from the center.

2.Nf6 - 3. f4 the famous vienna gambit. varies on next move, but white is better +- .

2.Bc5 - 3. f4, it is extremely common to play f4 on the 3rd move for white. if he doesn't take play nf3 the next move.

Sicilian 1. e4 c5

2.c3 - The Alpin variation, the most popular prepares to push d4 to whites advantage, by 2. nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4.cxd4, and white will have more space, so 2.e5 is an alternate, but leaves a hole for his knight on d4.

2.nf3 - The kings knight variation, very popular

2.f4 - Grand Prix attack, 2. d6 3.nf3 I like whites position more.

2.d4 - The Smith-morra gambit. 2. cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.nxc3. white literally sacrifices a pawn for attacking on the d and c files. or 2. cxd4 3.Qxd4 nc6 Black will gain a tempo on whites queen, i do not recommend to take.

Scotch 1. e4 e5 2. nf3 nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. nxd4 The center is broken quite early, but that does have advantages, I play 4. nf6 5. nxc6 bxc6 preparing to push d5, if 5. e5 then qe7 pinning the pawn. Usually, though people play 4.Bc5 5. Nxc6 Bxc6. Its really a question of wheather you want your bishop or knight out for black.

Scotch Gambit *My Personal E4 recomendation*

e4 e5 2. nf3 nc6 3. d4 exd4 4.Bc4
(a)4. Bb4+ looses for black because if 5.c3 then 5.dxc3 6.dxc3 if 7.Bc5 then 7.Bxf7+ 8.Kxf7 Qd5+ 9. king moves wherever Qxc5 +- Whites advantage. If Bd6 or Bf8, it either wastes a move and/ or messes up your position (undo's development/ blocks in pawns). Be7 is Game over, you might as well tip your king sideways due to Qd5!!.

Kings Gambit 1. e4 e5 2. f4 white will try for the d4 square

Accepted 2.exf4 3.nf3 d5 and so on. This was bobby fischers favorite line for black.

declined 2.e6 3.Nf3 Nc6

Falkerbeer 2.d5 3.exd5 d4 black sacrifices a pawn for a good centre and black has to cope with an annoying pawn

Interesting line 2.nc6 if 3. fxe5 Nxe5 4.d4 Qh4+ black is better. if 3.nf3 then f5 trying for equality.

The Scotch Game is definitively an opening for beginners (playing as White).

It's opened game that permits to player having two bishops free easily (see behind). Moreover, theory is simple and this opening is not countered easily by weak players because few weak players know it.

It was very common in the countless chess clubs of the former Soviet Union that coaches taught their young students to play gambits, sharp openings like the Greco Attack and the Sicilian Dragon. My recommendation for all my readers whose rating is about USCF 1300 or below: try to play open sharp positions as much as possible. Even if you play 1.d4 or 1.Nf3 go for complications whenever possible! Only a chess player who is proficient in tactics can be a successful tournament player. Don't forget the popular saying that "chess is 99% tactics". Don't be discouraged if you lose a game or two, the most important thing is to learn how to calculate variations and visualize a position, and you learn it best in sharp open positions!

To me it looks like you need to focus on the opening principles instead of particular openings. Openings will come in time, but if you stick to the fundamental opening principles, you will actually find yourself naturally playing openings without even thinking of it. Some opening principles include:

Control the center

Develop your pieces (Knights, Bishops, etc)

Castle early (this
should connect your rooks)

Try not to move the same piece twice in a row

Try not to move more than 3 pawns in the first 8 moves

By sticking to the principles above, you will notice that you are in fact playing an opening and you don't even have to think about it, for now, at least.

Let's use the Ruy Lopez as an example:

1. e4 - controls the center and opens the diagonal for the Queen and the Bishop1... e5 - fights for center control and opens the diagonal for the Queen and the Bishop
2. Nf3 - Gets a piece out and controls a center square, plus attacking blacks e5 pawn.
2... Nc6 - Black gets a piece out and protects his e5 pawn
3. Bb5 - Puts a pin on Black's c3 Knight.

A possible continuation for White and Black might be to castle, although with the Ruy Lopez, this can wait a few more moves.

I would also recommend if possible and this is only if you want to try and practice e4 openings, to either ask your friends if you can play as White or seek games and play as White for a while. I did this with the Scotch, Italian, Evan's Gambit and became much better after playing them from White's perspective for a while.

Your gonna get moves from Black that don't follow 1. e4 e5 openings, but to illustrate an example from my own experience, just stick to the principles and you should be fine, no matter if you lose or win, you will learn something. I will use the Sicilian as an example. I am not an expert in the Sicilian, so when I play against it, I have no idea if I am playing an opening or not.

1. e4 - I want control of the center.
1... c5 - Sicilian
2. Nf3 - I want to develop a piece
2... d63. d4 - I make this move because I want to break up the center and open the game up. It kind of reminds me of the Scotch a bit, but others might disagree.
3... cxd44. Nxd44... Nf6- Attack e4 pawn and develop a piece
5. Nc3 - Protect e4 pawn and develop a piece

If you looked at the board now, you would notice that White is close to castling, he has a pawn in the center, and both Knights are developed and there are open lines for his Queen and Bishops. Black's next move is an important strategic choice, but I wouldn't worry to much about it, I would just play. My main point above is that I had no idea how to play against the Sicilian, I just played the moves that felt natural to move at the time and come to find out, this is called the Open Sicilian

Yasser Seirwan's Winning Chess series recommend a Kings Indian Attack structure (Nf3, g3, Bg2, 0-0, d3, e4) because it is quite sound against almost anything your opponent can throw against you... and it has the analogous Kings Indian Defense as Black.

Its been solid enough that even Kasparov and Fischer have been known to play it, and doesn't require memorization.

+1 for the King's Indian. It may not be light on theory, but none of the 1. d4 openings really are, and it avoids the bad light-square Bishop better than the other Indian defenses. I'm also intrigued by your recommendation of the Robatsch. I wouldn't have thought of that family of openings as simple beginner ground, but there's a good case to be made for it.
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Jonathan GarberFeb 5 '13 at 15:46

The Robatsch is flexible and lets people get pieces in play. And against beginners, that sneaky g7 Bishop will probably eat its share of rooks ;-)
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Tony EnnisFeb 6 '13 at 0:00

Ahh, the long diagonal, of course. I sort of overlooked that aspect because it's "too obvious".
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Jonathan GarberFeb 6 '13 at 14:00

It will also teach the beginner about the long diagonal, exerting force on the center, and how a Bishop can assert itself.
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Tony EnnisFeb 7 '13 at 2:19

Don't be afraid to crush them. They won't play precisely enough to counter you, and you'll have tons of space. Develop fast, rush towards f7, gain material if you can, just don't lose time going after pawns.

[fen ""]
1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Bc4 cxb2 5. Bxb2

Usually, you push e5 at some point, and sometimes it's yet another sacrifice.

I love taking all 3 pawns as black lol. I also see no compensation for white. sacrificing the 2nd kinda makes sense so u could move more freely but the 3rd is definately a blunder.
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dogs10099Oct 19 '13 at 16:08

For beginners, I generally recommend to begin from the end and start by learning endgames. Having said this, I can recommend a general plan of developing your pieces and securing your king that you can follow in every game, with both colors. For example, you can try a setup with 1.Nf3, 2.g3, 3.Bg2, 4.0-0, 5.d3, 6.e4, 7.Re1, 8.Nbd2, 9.c3, 10.Qc2, 11.a4 followed by Nd2-c4 or Nd2-f1-e3 and developing the dark squared bishop to d2 and the rook Ra1-d1. For instance, the game could start with

I prefer the Italian Game, as it is what I played when I was a beginner. I used to won many games with that, especially when other beginners play the 2 knights game and doesn't know what they're doing.